Merchant Wins Javelin, Second in Shot Put at Liberty League West Championships

Kathleen Merchant won the javelin and was second in the shot put to lead the St. Lawrence University women's outdoor track and field team at the Liberty League West Championships on Saturday afternoon at the University of Rochester.

Merchant won the javelin with a throw of 36.19 meters, and her mark of 12.55 meters in the shot put was a season-best throw. Kimberly Merchant finished in second place in the discus with a throw of 38.71 meters, while Kathleen was fifth with a mark of 37.25 meters.

The Saints finished in fourth place in the team standings with 70 points. Ithaca won with 256, with Rochester second with 209. RIT was third with 79 points.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions on gathering size, the league split this year's championship meet up into two meets in two different sites.

A number of St. Lawrence competitors posted season-best performances, and there were 10 All-Atlantic Region Track and Field Conference Championship qualifiers.

Olivia Middleton posted a 36-centimeter improvement in the long jump with a mark of 5.20 meters to finish third, while Olivia Watson dropped 48 seconds in her 10,000-meter run time to also finish in third place with a time of 38:37.45. Haylei Coolican dropped one second in her 3,000 steeplechase time to finish third (11:47.36), while Billie McClosky dropped 43 seconds off her personal best time in the race to finish fourth in 12:22.96.

Katherine Sheehy cut more than nine seconds off her best time in the 5,000 to finish in fifth in 18:55.21, and Hayley Castagnier dropped 0.43 seconds off her time in the preliminary round of the 100 to finish in 13.08 seconds, then came in sixth place in the finals.

Qualifying student-athletes will have the opportunity to compete at the AARTFC Championships at St. John Fisher on May 19-20.

St. Lawrence Individual Scoring Performances

Kathleen Merchant - First place, Javelin (36.19 meters)*; Second place, Shot put (12.55 meters)*; Fifth place, Discus (37.25 meters)*
Kimberly Merchant - Second place, Discus (38.71 meters)*
Haylei Coolican - Third place, 3,000 steeplechase (11:47.36)*
Catherine Kluchinski - Third place, 5,000 (18:22.79)*
Olivia Middleton - Third place, Long jump (5.20 meters)*
Olivia Watson - Third place, 10,000 (38:37.45)*
Billie McClosky - Fourth place, 3,000 steeplechase (12:22.96)*
Katherine Sheehy - Fifth place, 5,000 (18:55.21)
Alli Sibold - Fifth place, 1,500 (4:50.79)*
Isabel Caprood - Sixth place, 100 hurdles (15.96 prelims, 16.22 finals)
Hayley Castagnier - Sixth place, 100 (13.08 prelims, 13.24 finals)